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FINAL is the third digital single released from the second season of Produce 101. The final 20 participants were split into two teams and placed on one of the first two tracks, while the last song included them all.

Released: June 17, 2017
1. Hands on me
2. Super Hot
3. Always (이 자리에)

Hands on me is the first song and more down my alley. It’s a pretty smooth, funk-inspired pop song that does a great job of showcasing all the participants’ vocals. I like the lighter arrangement that focuses more on the synths and guitar, although I wish there was a stronger bass line to really give it a bit more punch. The melody is surprisingly catchy and the simple hooks throughout the chorus are super effective in getting me to groove to this. I just wish there wasn’t that weird breakdown halfway through for the rap as it sticks out with its more hip-hop inspired vibe.

Super Hot is a contrast to the last song in the sense that it replaces the smoother, sensual quality for something more in-your-face and bright. It still ties in nicely though as it also has a strong disco/funk-inspired arrangement. I quite like the energy the song has, especially that explosive chorus. I don’t think the hooks are as intoxicating, but it’s still pretty catchy. I do like that the rap is incorporated much better here. It’s not as strong as the last song, but still a fun listen.

Always is a ballad and features all the participants. I think it’s a nice tune, but I’m not particularly drawn to it. The song tries to go a dreamier route with its light percussion, floating synths and breathy vocals. The boys do a good job with their vocals, but I don’t quite like the editing done to their voices. I feel like the melody just isn’t that captivating either and the song relies a lot on its arrangement to give it more power.

Overall:This is another solid digital single release from Produce 101. I really like the first two songs and they each show an interesting contrast to one another. I wish Always was a stronger song though as it left me desiring for a better melody.

Watashi no Okinawa is the third album released by hiro. It was her first solo album release in 11 years. It is a cover album that features songs by Okinawan artists and folk songs. It was a moderate success, peaking at #13 on the charts. One single was released prior to the album.

Shima Uta opens the album on a relaxing note. The song starts off as a gentle acoustic-focused tune, but soon starts to gain a bit of power. I wasn’t expecting much at first, but I do feel like the inclusion of the percussion really helps to liven the song up and it really gives it some strength in the chorus. The melody is quite beautiful as well. Compared to her first two albums, hiro sounds much more mature here and it fits wonderfully with the song. This is a great opener.

Nature Sound brings a bit more of a melancholic sound and is the album’s first cover. I do like that the song has a more pop/rock quality to it and keeps things more mainstream while still adding a few elements here and there of the Okinawan style. I wish the music had a bit more punch to it, but it’s still a pretty good song as the melody is pretty catchy and hiro sounds great. The only part that comes off is weird is the rap that comes up in the second half of the song as hiro can’t quite do this well.

Bringing back a more lighthearted sound, we get Watashi no Okinawa, the title track. I like that it has a summery brightness to it that works with its light pop/rock influence. I really like how the Okinawan elements start to come in during the chorus as it really brings an interesting switch. It’s not the catchiest tune, but it’s still solid and quite charming.

Kaigara brings us another cover, but this time in the form of a ballad. It’s a really sweet sounding song and I quite like how the instruments all work together. The Okinawan influence isn’t at the forefront this time, but tied nicely into the background. The chorus isn’t particularly memorable in melody, but the arrangement really helps give the song a bit of punch. It’s quite sweet.

Tinsagunu Hana (album ver.) is another slower song, but this time we get some children’s choir to help give the song some push. It’s not a song that I would normally go for, but there is a really touching quality about it from its gentle arrangement to its short vocal sections. It isn’t a long song, but it still feels quite beautiful. It was originally released as the B-side to the album’s single.

I think Shimanchunu Takara has been done numerous times by other Okinawan artists as well. It has a really bright and prominent Okinawa twist. It is a surprisingly long song but has a great vibe to it. The verses are fun, while the chorus has the kind of sound that is easy to sing along to. I do wish the music fit a bit better with the vocal arrangement because there does seem a bit of a disconnect, but it is a pretty nice tune.

We finally get a more upbeat song in the form of Mirukumunari, which has some strong traditional Okinawan and Japanese sounds. It starts off in a really cool way with its chanting. I don’t really know what to think. I wasn’t expecting it to be catchy, but the chants melody is actually really fun to listen to.

Stay With Me returns us to a more contemporary style with its gentle pop/rock sound. It actually reminds me of something that Hamasaki Ayumi might have done in the 2000’s due to the use of strings and light percussion. The chorus has quite a simple hook, but it actually works well here. hiro also sounds good and she shows a lot of control over her singing. Charming song.

Halo (delofamilia) opens in a weird way and has quite a strange sound. Not sure what to think really of its intro. However, things start to sound better once hiro starts to sing. The chorus is where things start to get a bit weirder as the song has a light R&B beat that comes popping in. Unfortunately, I feel like the melody doesn’t quite take advantage of this and it isn’t that memorable. The best part does come right after the chorus though as there is a more pop sounding section that brings a more melodic change. It is an interesting song, but the weakest at this point.

The next song has quite a long name, but it is quite beautiful. Kokoro no Uta ~Aisuruno ga Heta Dakara~ is a gentle ballad that brings in some sounds from nature and has a dreamier quality to it. It isn’t the most exciting song, but it has a really gorgeous quality to it with its subtle Okinawan elements and emotional melody. hiro does a great job as her voice fits the song really well. My only issue comes in the second half of the song where a light beat comes in and makes parts feel a bit offbeat.

Warabigami (piano ver.) comes rolling in and it is really beautiful. This song has also been covered numerous times by different artists. Even though this song focuses on the piano, I don’t find it to get boring. The melody is quite sweet and there is a tenderness to it that really fits the arrangement and makes everything even more emotional. I can understand why this was the album’s only single as it is a stand out piece.

Finishing the album is Hana, which was used as a promotional track for the album. It is another song that has a stronger Okinawan flair to it. The majority of the song has a light pop sound, but the music definitely brings in some of that much needed influence to give it a punch. The melody is a bit lacking unfortunately and while the arrangement is nice, the song is a bit forgettable. I enjoy hiro’s vocal performance though.

Overall:This is easily hiro’s best album to date. I was actually expecting it to be quite boring and while the album is on the slower side of things, many of the songs were of high quality even if they weren’t my cup of tea. I felt like hiro was really in her element here and while her piercing vocals were exciting in her first two albums, she has really showed her maturity here. I loved the Okinawan flavour that was brought into a lot of the songs as well.

I really like how the album opens. The intro is really fun and has a great beat to it that sort of shows how the album will go with a brighter sound. It’s quite cute.

Fall in Love opens in a beautiful way that focuses on the strings. I was hoping this would continue, but instead we get a bright pop tune. It’s not a bad song, just definitely on the more generic side. I think the thing that really gives it life are the strings that fly under the heavy beat and synths. The chorus isn’t particularly memorable in melody, but the music does help elevate the song a bit. The bridge is quite nice though.

NAVILLERA is an exhilarating pop tune with some with some dance elements. The strings are quite prominent here as well, but I feel like the music doesn’t overpower things and works really well with the energy of that the melody also builds. The pre-chorus is especially great for this as things start to build. The chorus brings a slight drop, but the melody is really catchy and I like that the hook isn’t overly repetitive.

I’m glad that the title track brings something a little different. Although it is another upbeat tune, there is a bit of an 80’s vibe to it with the synths in the instrumental portions. LOL has rather weak verses, but the chorus is definitely stronger. My only issue is I wish the cool synth refrain was included in the arrangement here as the chorus seems to go full on bubblegum pop and ends up a bit more on the generic side. A solid album track that reminds me a bit of 00’s J-Pop.

Distance is a bit of a relaxing reggae tune. Reggae is a great genre, but I usually don’t really enjoy how a lot of K-Pop groups do it because it feels so watered down. Here, the arrangement just isn’t that strong and actually feels like a bit of a letdown when compared to melody. It’s not bad though as there are some really nice parts to it, but it is one of the album’s weaker tunes.

I like that Water Flower has a bit of a pop/rock punch, but still retains that bright summery style. This song actually has some of the best verses on the album because there is some energy to them that works really well with the music. Unfortunately, I felt the chorus to be weaker. I was hoping for something a little more hardhitting and instead it goes really sweet in its delivery.

Mermaid takes a bit of a different approach, which is much needed. I quite like the more dramatic style the melody takes here and it works beautifully with the music and vocals in the verses. The chorus isn’t as exhilarating, but I do like the more passionate side that the song takes. I feel like part of it is the editing on the vocals, which sort of holds back the emotion during the first half. Besides that, it is a pretty cool song and I bet some tweaking could make it phenomenal.

Even though the title is Sunshine, the song is definitely on the more mid-tempo side of things with its light R&B/pop sound. It has a nice relaxing quality to it that helps to break up the flow of the upbeat songs. With that said, it just doesn’t push hard enough when it needs to. The chorus is a bit too sweet and I feel like it could’ve played up the strengths of Yuju a bit more. A bit boring after a while.

I am glad Compas is much better. This song has a stronger house influence with its pounding beat and slow build-up. I quite like that the chorus doesn’t go into a drop, but actually has a fleshed out melody that works great with the powerful music. It’s not one of the stronger dance tunes I’ve heard in recent years, but it is still a pretty nice change on this album and is a fun listen.

Click brings us back to a brighter pop song that is reminiscent of the 90’s pop/R&B sound. It has a great energy to it and I like the brightness of the chorus. It is certainly one of the stronger album tracks as the melody has a pretty decent hook that matches the music. I just feel like the girls’ vocals don’t particularly fit with this song.

To end the album, we have Gone With The Wind, which is the best album track on here. The song starts off pretty generic, but it has a great beat and fast-paced melody that helps to power things up for that explosive chorus. The song is reminiscent of Rough in the intensity of the melody in the chorus and the prominence of strings in the music. I don’t think it quite hits the same power, but there are some really cool parts to it. I’m not a fan of dubstep, but that breakdown is pretty nicely transitioned into as well.

Overall:This was a pretty average album for me. I was actually expecting a little more from it as I really enjoyed the promo track and Gone With The Wind. The rest of the album was up and down but it never really reached any extremes. It felt like the majority of the songs had some nice parts to them but could be tweaked more in other areas.

To Hebe is the first solo album released by Hebe Tian. Although she was part of S.H.E for a good nine years before this album, she had only released a few solo songs here or there on OSTs beforehand. This album proved to be a major success as it ended up becoming one of the best selling of 2010 in Taiwan and two singles being huge hits in many Chinese-speaking countries.

The album opens with Love?, which is a slow acoustic pop tune. Usually I’m not a big fan of these kinds of slower tunes, but there is something really beautiful about the melody here and it definitely brings some life to things. While it is only a minute and a half at the start, the full version actually appears right at the end. Love!, the complete version, adds a few more gentle instruments in to bring a fuller sound. It’s just as gorgeous in its full version and it’s easily one of the highlights of the album.

The title track, To Hebe, is a light pop/rock tune. It starts off pretty gentle, but the guitar and percussion soon start to come in and the energy starts to go up. The chorus isn’t bad and at first, I didn’t find it particularly catchy, but it has grown on me a bit. It sort of reminds me of something that Michelle Branch might have done back in the early 00’s. Not as memorable, but still decent.

Isolated Islands starts off with a really rich and beautiful guitar before Hebe’s voice comes in. It has a Mediterranean vibe to it, which is a nice change. Although I’m not particularly invested in these kind of songs, I do quite like how fluid and airy the melody is and I like how Hebe’s voice sounds. It’s a really gentle treat and a good song that is out of usual style.

Apartment with No Manager is not something I would’ve expected with a title like that. However, it has a really great light-pop/acoustic sound that has some gentle country vibes to it. It actually reminds me of something Stefanie Sun would do and I love her songs, so this is a great listen. The melody isn’t quite as endearing as I want it to be, but there is some charm to the overall delivery of the song.

Finally on a darker side of things, we have the jazzier ballad, I’m Sorry to Myself. It focuses more on the piano and strings, specifically the cello, which is a really nice addition. It really gives the song a heaviness to it that is only helped by the haunting violins. The melody is quite beautiful as well and Hebe sounds great here. I especially love how the song gains a bit more energy by the end.

I Think I Will Not Love You starts off in a bit of a cool way, but does sound a bit like some of the other tracks on here. Only when the percussion really comes in does it start to stand out and I love how it builds and builds into powerful pop/rock ballad. I like how that final chorus, things get even more intense. It’s a pretty dramatic song and something I haven’t really heard from Hebe before. Reminds me a bit more of Yoga Lin.

If there is one amazing tune on this album, it has to be the main single, Loneliness is Fine. It’s a bit more on the side of the typical Mandopop ballad, but brings in some other elements that were present in the other songs like its darker tone and rock undertones. I absolutely love this song. The chorus is so memorable and powerful and it lends itself well to both Hebe’s voice and the lyrics. That drop with the percussion really gives the chorus that punch it needs. Effortlessly great.

You’re Too Mad is an acoustic tune that really continues the melancholic feel of the entire album. It starts off quite beautifully and I love the touches of harmony here and there to help fill out the melody in the verses. The chorus is nice and reminds me a bit of something more from the 90’s in Mandopop. It’s not bad, but gets a bit dull though. I wish the ending had a bit more energy to it.

I usually don’t like lounge songs as much and while Super Mario isn’t a bad song, it just isn’t my cup of tea. It has a some nice points to it like the harmonies and cool electric guitar that sits under the melody, but the melody is just a bit too repetitive and doesn’t quite hit the spot. I feel like the song does get better by the second half, but it is probably the weakest song on here.

For the Children is a duet between Hebe and Yoga Lin, which is someone who would fit with the sounds on this album very well. It seems like these two would be a match and while the song starts out a bit boring, it really gets going by the second half. When that percussion kicks in, the song really blasts off and the two harmonize beautifully. It’s not the strongest song, but it is a nice duet.

Overall:This was a pretty strong debut album from Hebe and I’m glad she tried to branch out from the music that defined S.H.E. This album easily solidified her as a strong artist on her own and it shows here with the darker tones and stronger focus on the slower side of things. The album can get a bit much at times because every song is slow, but there are some really great tunes and the majority of the album is solid.

Finally! Although the girls released something of a similar caliber on their first album with Miracle, the title track was a departure from the sound that the girls had become known for. Dreams Come True is a true return to that Secret style and I’m totally happy. It starts off beautifully with its soaring synths and powerful beat. The verses are so frantic that they keep the energy up and while the transition into the chorus isn’t quite obvious, the chorus itself has a great wormy catchiness that just takes a bit of time to seep into. Once I was hooked, I was hooked and this is easily one of my favourites from the group. The Chinese ver. that ends the mini retains its excellence even if the pronunciation isn’t quite there.

The Nutcracker is definitely more of the straightforward pop sound. It has a lot of energy to it, but there are some really fun slower moments that help to create balance. Unfortunately, this song doesn’t quite have that stand out moment for me. The melody just keeps up this frantic bouncing that just doesn’t quite let up in the chorus and unlike the last song that brings in different hooks, this one just hands us a pretty empty sounding tune. A bit disappointing.

I do prefer Renaissance though. There is a classy elegance to its delivery that is reminiscent of the group’s strongest songs. It doesn’t quite bring the wistfulness, but it does has a more focused sound than the last song. While I do prefer the verses, the chorus has a great punch to it that is helped by that steady beat. The melody is pretty solid, even if it isn’t the most catchy, it at least works well with the music.

With a title like Starry Moment, I was expecting something dreamy, but here we are given some throwback to 90’s R&B. I do quite like this change up in style and there are some elements thrown in that do keep that “starry” quality to things, specifically the synths. The chorus is a bit more pop in its sound, but it still works out surprisingly well and the transition isn’t too jarring. It’s a decent album track, although I wish the melody was stronger.

Thawing is a cuter tune, but I find it to be the weakest on the mini. The melody is just really weak and it feels a bit all over the place. The music isn’t too bad and continues the sparkly elements of the other songs, but it just doesn’t quite have a strong melody to take it to the next level. It’s definitely something I will forget later on.

Overall:This mini was pretty solid, but it did get carried heavily by the promo track. I was hoping that since the promo track was so strong, the other songs would retain that wistful power. Unfortunately, I only connected a lot to one other song. The others weren’t horrible, but were just a bit average. Not a bad mini though.

If You is the third second digital single released by NU’EST W. It is their first original song after Minhyun’s hiatus from the group due to his participation in the project group, Wanna One.

Released: July 25, 2017
1. If You (있다면)

Not sure if If You was what I was expecting from the group. It’s a midtempo pop/R&B piece and these kind of coffeehouse-styled songs usually aren’t my cup of tea. However, I do quite enjoy this one. It has that common laid-back vibe, but the melody is actually interesting and I like how the rap is brought in. I just wish the hook that is used in the beginning and end of the song was used more often throughout the whole song. It’s probably my favourite part of it.

Overall:This was a nice song. It wasn’t ground-breaking, but it was a nice relaxing tune and I’m not usually a big fan of these kinds of songs because they can get a bit forgettable, so this is a plus.

ULTRA BLUE is the fourth Japanese album released by Utada Hikaru. It was her first album after her venture into the American market and her first Japanese studio album in four years. The album proved to be a hit, although it did sell significantly less than her past releases. It peaked at #1 on the Oricon charts and sold over 910,000 copies. Five singles were released prior to the album, with the earliest released in 2003. Every single peaked within the top five and three were number one hits.

The album opens with the promotional single, This Is Love, which is absolute great song. This pretty much shows the continuation of Utada’s sound since her last album with its synthed-up pop sound. The music is largely focused on synths with a fast-paced beat, but it’s everything tied with that dreamy, yet intense melody that just makes the whole song work. It sounds like a futuristic piece and it is absolutely great. What a way to start things off.

Popping in next is fifth single, Keep Tryin’. This one slows things down, but it still has the same dreamy pop sound with its focus on synths. I didn’t really get into this song that much before, but it has only been the last few years where I can see its appeal. The verses are pretty calming, but it soon builds things up in the pre-chorus. The opening line of the chorus is probably my favourite part of the song as it just has so much punch to it and it is really catchy. Another stellar tune.

BLUE is probably my favourite song on the album. It continues the sound of the last two songs, but brings a more dramatic tone. The verses are pretty gentle and focus more on the piano and Utada’s voice. However, the chorus is an absolute juggernaut and is effortlessly beautiful. The melody has so many dynamic points to it, where every line gradually builds more intense, which works wonderfully with Utada’s voice. I love this song.

I hadn’t listened to Nichiyou no Asa that much, but there are some really great qualities to it. It brings a bit of that older R&B vibe that Utada used to have, but tried to bring a few of her later sound’s elements into it. It’s actually a Christmas song, which is a bit of an odd surprise, but there are points in that with the bounciness of the piano. It’s a nice way to blend a usual holiday song with a general sound that is not as obviously Christmas. I can see myself listening to it more.

Making Love brings us back to that full-fledged ethereal pop sound and I’m pleasantly surprised. This is another song I didn’t pay much attention to, but it’s a pretty solid tune. It doesn’t quite have the same kind of power the other ones had, but there is a softness to the melody that I really love and that lends itself well to the sparkling music. There is a bit of an odd point in the second half of the song that sort ruins the flow, but the rest of the song is quite beautiful.

One of the album’s oldest songs comes in next. Dareka no Negai ga Kanau Koro is the album’s first full-fledged ballads and it focuses mostly on Utada, a piano and the strings. It sort of sticks out from the other songs on the album because it is more organic in its arrangement, but I think it is a crushingly beautiful song. There is a feeling of sadness that blankets over the whole song and it makes the melody even more emotional. Utada does a beautiful job bringing this feeling out.

The album’s first single and the oldest song on here makes an entry. COLORS is one of my favourite Utada songs and despite its older release date, its sound still works surprisingly well here as it has a more intense dreamy pop sound. The verses are pretty dynamic, but its the punch of the chorus that gets me every time. The music twists and turns in ways that lends itself so well to that intense melody.

One Night Magic features Yamada Masashi and starts off with an almost 80’s element to its music, but it soon builds into something more ethereal and slightly more latin. The song makes me think of ‘traveling’ from her last album. The chorus is a cool blend between different melodies that helps to create a swirling quality to the song and the build-up to it is a transition of different sounds and tempos. I think the song didn’t really need Yamada Masashi as he just does some repetitive hooks here and there, but this is a pretty cool song anyways.

Kairo is another ballad, but this time it fits more with the rest of the album. It has some traditional elements in the music that helps set it apart as well. That and the dramatic use of strings really gives a different kind of quality. It has a bit of an unorthodox structure, but I quite like that it brings something different. It’s still a pretty beautiful song. Not one I would really revisit often as it lacks a strong melody, but the arrangement is great.

The next song, WINGS, was originally released as the B-side to the album’s fifth single. I really love how this song starts off because the arrangement is quite beautiful and works with Utada’s singing. There are some R&B influences here and there in the song, which is a nice change up, especially once the first minute of the song passes. It’s a really calming song and while the chorus isn’t particularly catchy, it does a great job of creating a soothing mood.

Be My Last was released as the album’s third single and it brings something a little different with its more acoustically-focused arrangement. At first, I wasn’t quite sure about this song and while I do think it is the weakest of the singles, it is still a pretty solid song. The verses are boring, but once the intensity goes up for the chorus, I really start to enjoy it again. It’s a pretty melancholic song and Utada’s piercing vocals fit the song nicely.

Not quite sure if I enjoy Eclipse (Interlude) that much. It has a bit of a jazzier electronic sound, which is interesting but feels like a weird place to put it.

Passion was used as the theme song to Kingdom Hearts II and I think I like this one way more than its Predecessor, Hikari. It really intensifies that ethereal pop sound by bringing a whole different mix of sounds. There is a bit of rock and a bit of traditional tribal elements that help to make the song stand out. I would say the most intense point is that bridge which does a wonderful job of flowing right into the end of the song where things get to its best. Gorgeous ending.

Overall:This is probably my favourite Japanese album because I just love every song. Each song on here is something I would repeat again and there is just such a high-quality feeling about its whole delivery. The singles are phenomenal, but there are also some gorgeous album tracks. Not everything has the strongest melody, but there seems to be more focus in each of the songs and each songs tells a story. Phenomenal.